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Monday, 23 April 2018

IGI to get 2 new approach roads in 3 years

NEW DELHI: Indira Gandhi International Airport will get two new approach roads — one from south Delhi and another from the upcoming Dwarka Expressway — in less than three years. The National Highways Authority of India (NHAI) will build the links at an expense of about Rs 1,350 crore.

The first link connecting the airport to the proposed interchange at Shiv Murti will be a 1.5 km shallow tunnel which will join the T3 road. This will be a four-lane underground stretch which can be used by commuters from Vasant Kunj, IIT, Munirka and Mehrauli.

The Shiv Murti interchange will have elevated connectivity to Nelson Mandela Road through Rangpuri. Commuters taking the interchange for NH-8 and the upcoming Dwarka Expressway would be able to use the tunnel to reach T3.
Traffic flow to the IGI Airport complex is expected to increase substantially because of Aerocity, where official and social functions are hosted.

NHAI officials said the project could be completed in less than three years. Already, the Central Public Works Department is building a bypass for Mahipalpur, which will also have a tunnel connecting the airport near the National Crime Records Bureau office on DelhiGurgaon carriageway.
“We have invited bids for Shiv Murti tunnel costing approximately Rs 350 crore as a part of the first package of Dwarka Expressway. We are hopeful of awarding it next month. NHAI and the civil aviation ministry will share the cost 50:50,” a government official said.

Similarly, to improve connectivity from the upcoming Dwarka Expressway, NHAI will build a 5km link road from Bijwasan railway station up to T3. Speaking at a TOI event in Gurgaon last week, highways minister Nitin Gadkari had said NHAI was working on a plan to provide seamless connectivity to the airport for traffic coming from Manesar as traffic on the route would increase once people started occupying houses along the Dwarka Expressway. This will also be the key link to the upcoming Dwarka convention centre, which will be the biggest in the country.

“About 3.5 km of this connectivity will be tunnel. It will be a deep tunnel, which will pass beneath the runway like that of Express Metro. It will be a six-lane tunnel. We are preparing the details and it will cost about Rs 1,000 crore. We will be in a position to award this project in the next 6-7 months,” an NHAI official said.

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